Merkel and Rajoy walking Camino today

Ahead of their meeting tomorrow to discuss the development of the economic situation in Europe and the state of negotiations for the European Commission German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will be walking 5km (3 miles) of the Camino diminishing at the Cathedral.

Merkel is said to be a hiker and spends many of her holidays in the Swiss Alps doing just that and in 2013 spent time hiking in the Italian section of the mountain range whilst Rajoy, who was born in Santiago and is interrupting his summer holidays for their meeting, enjoys jogging.

For this short stroll I hope that they aren't taking the Frances route in - this part has to be one of the uglyist of that route. The Finisterre route may be a better option.

At least they should have nice weather for their walk!

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The Camino Primitivo

The Camino Primitivo (or the Original Way) is reportedly the very first Camino Way to Santiago in the 9 th century when most of Spain was under the control of the Moors and it runs from near the city of Ovideo in Asturias as it starts in Villavicosa (which also lies on the Camino Norte so many people follow this Way from Basque city of San Sebastian (Donosti in Basque) or in from the French border at Irun ( this route then hugs the Bay of Biscay passing through Guernica, Bilbao, Santander, Llanes before going under the Picos de Europa and then heads along the coast to Ovideo) before branching off onto the Primitivo which goes across the mountains and through the city of Lugo before joining the Frances at Melide. The route is 320km long. Image taken from https://viaalpina2013.wordpress.com/2013/04/14/camino-del-norte-camino-primitivo/

Symbols of the three main Christian Pilgrimages

The symbol of the Pilgrim to Santiago is the Scallop shell of which many can be found on the coast of Galicia and it is actually a symbol of the Pilgrimage (and has become a symbol of other Christian Pilgrimages too) partly because you could find the shell easily there and so could go back home and show it off as proof that you had done the Pilgrimage. It has also been included in carvings in some Churches.

Camino Mascot

Those who have walked the Camino will probably have seen one or more of the Camino mascots along the Way but do you know their names? http://m.elcorreogallego.es/xacobeo/ecg/xubi-jubila-pelegrin-mascota-xacobea/idEdicion-2010-06-08/idNoticia-555962/

On the Camino

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